I told Jason about it.
Jason thought for a minute and said, “Sarah.”
I went to the accounting department.
I spent hours going over the books. I found
the truth.
Sarah had been stealing money from the
company.
I felt bad for my dead uncle.
I had to be careful. I let the finance people
know about the guy who helped Sarah. I
wanted them to stall him.
When Sarah showed up, I had the security
guards arrest her. She was still arguing.
“Amy! This is my dad’s money! I can do what I
want! When Mike gets back on his feet, he’ll
pay you back!”
I told her the truth. “Your dad’s money is
gone. You’re going to jail. You stole money
from the company!”
“Shut up! You don’t know what it’s like to live
like this! You were born lucky! You don’t
know what it’s like to be me!”
Sarah was crying, screaming in the office.
<
“Life hasn’t been bad for you. My uncle raised
you, and my parents have been good to you.
You’ve always had food and clothes. Even
when you were mean to me, we never gave
up on you. Why can’t you be happy?”
Greed was the root of her problems. Sarah
had been too spoiled.
I had the police take Sarah away.
The lawyers told me she’d be gone for years.
I asked my dad if he was mad about what I’d
done.
But my dad supported me.
“I don’t want to be nice to anyone who hurts
my daughter ”
<
I felt tears in my eyes.
The money that Sarah stole had been going.
to an offshore account. It was connected to
the Michaels.
So that’s what he meant by saying that Sarah
could give him anything I could give him?
The special team froze the funds.
Mike had lost everything.
But he’d disappeared after Sarah got
arrested.
One afternoon, I was waiting for Jason to
pick me up.
<
Suddenly, a cloth covered my nose and
mouth, and the smell almost knocked me out.
My last thought was that Mike was here.
When I woke up, I was tied to a pillar in an
abandoned warehouse. My clothes were wet
and sticky, and I smelled gas.
Gasoline.
I started to panic.
Mike was playing with a lighter.
“How much money do you want? Call my dad.
He’ll pay you,” I said, trying to sound calm.
“Acting soft now? You were so tough before.”
く
Mike circled me, his face lit by the flickering
lighter. He looked like a demon.
“Amy, this is all your fault. If you had married
me, the Harrisons would have helped me, and
I wouldn’t be here! You wouldn’t be dying!”
I laughed.
“If I married you, wouldn’t you have messed
me up anyway?”
“What do you mean? Would I do that?”
“I had a dream. I married you, and you blamed
me for breaking you up with Sarah. Isn’t that
what’s happening now?”
I stared at Mike, trying to hold his attention.
<
Mike’s breathing quickened.
“You rejected me because of some dream?!
Amy! Don’t you trust me?!”
I shook my head.
Mike looked confused. He was about to ask
what I meant when the police grabbed him.
from behind.
“It’s because I trusted you too much. I knew
what you’d do.”
Jason rushed over. He was shaking as he
untied me.
“Amy!!!” Mike yelled as he was dragged to
the police car.
I grinned. “The plan worked, didn’t it!”
Jason didn’t respond. He looked at me, his
eyes filled with tears.
“Amy, I was so scared. I was afraid I’d see
another fire…”
I froze.
“Jason, did you…?”
He hugged me tightly.
“If I’d come any later, I couldn’t have lived
with myself…”
“Amy, I don’t want to experience that
nightmare ever again!”
r
Then I remembered. My last memory wasn’t
full of hate.
I was floating above the fire. I was watching
Jason holding my burned body, crying.
“I’m sorry… Amy… it’s all my fault…”
“I made you suffer so much…”
The flames surrounded him, and he didn’t let
- go.
After the fire was put out, there were just two
bodies in the rubble.
He’d been reborn too. That’s why he hated
Mike so much.
I remembered everything. Tears streamed
I remembered everything. Tears streamed
down my face. I hugged Jason back.
We were together again.
This time, there was no fire, just gratitude
and joy.
